Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
If you’ve ever hunted Western big game then you’ve most likely still hunted at one point or another. It’s the method that humans have hunted wild game for centuries. Move slowly through the woods or brush, stop and look & listen. Sadly, the practice of still hunting is all but lost on Texas hunters since the majority of us sit and wait for the deer to come to us. So it was refreshing to read Texas Fish and Game Magazine Shooting Editor Steve LaMascus‘ recent feature on “The Lost Art of Still Hunting”.
Having grown up hunting a 6,000 acre cattle ranch in rural Texas, Steve has still hunted for the better part of 50 years. He joins the show today to talk about the correct way to still hunt and why still hunting remains a tool that every hunter needs in their arsenal. A key part to still hunting is stopping and looking through a good pair of glasses:
The we touch on a new style of baits that is making waves in the fishing industry. For the first time, people have studied the way that fish see prey and the results of extensive study were shocking. Fish don’t see natural light like humans, their eyes are actually sensitive to natural light. Instead they see UV light that reflects off their prey in nature. Tightlines UV Founder & CEO Brett Ware stops by talk about this change in the direction of baits, especially in the bass fishing community. Brett is considered the godfather of UV style baits having conducted 3 years of research on the subject. His company- Tightlines UV has been producing UV light infused baits for 4 years and 2012 Bassmaster Angler of the Year Brett Chapman fishes exclusively with Tightlines UV soft plastics.
If the best bass angler in the world in 2012 swears by these baits then it’s hard not to believe that they are here to stay and not just the next big gimmick. Either way, understanding how fish see is fascinating stuff. And science tells us that UV light has much deeper penetration in the water column so UV infused baits reflect more light at greater depths. Be sure to tune in because we will be giving away a Brent Chapman TightLines UV kit live on the air this weekend. What we see vs what fish see:
We then round out the show by discussing the one extremely positive aspect of high ammo prices. The Pittman Robertson Act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937. This 11% excise tax on gun and ammo taxes has pumped over $12 Billion dollars into wildlife conservation since it’s inception. These funds are largely responsible for ensuring the survival of species such as the wild turkey, black bear and others who at one point teetered on the brink of extinction.
Texas Parks & Wildlife’s Wildlife Division Director Clayton Wolf makes his return to the show to discuss how 75 years later, the Pittman Robertson Act is still crucial to wildlife conservation in Texas. Pronghorn relocation, wild turkey research and relocation and quail research are all funded by this act and over half of the Wildlife Division’s budget comes from PR dollars. With Americans buying up ammo and guns at an all time high rate, you won’t believe how much money hunters and gun enthusiasts are pumping back into conservation. President Roosevelt circa 1937.
